Topic in Depth - Harvesting the RainRain harvesting has experienced a bit of a renaissance in recent years through the promotion and installation of rain gardens and rain barrels. These water collection mechanisms help to curb erosion and the spread of pollution; conserve precious freshwater; and support water-loving plants.
This Topic in Depth presents websites and electronic publications containing instructive and descriptive information about rain gardens and barrels. Rain Gardens of West Michigan This site comes from Rain Gardens of West Michigan, "an environmental education program on stormwater education, and on the values of using rain gardens and native plants in the landscape to improve urban and suburban water quality." Rain Gardens of West Michigan does an excellent job of explaining what a rain...
City of Maplewood: Rainwater Gardens The City of Maplewood, Minnesota created this site, which promotes the use of rain gardens in their community. The site features a 15-page, downloadable "Maplewood Rainwater Gardens Planting and Care Guide," and a list of recommended plants. Although the site is designed for Minnesota residents, it is also an...
University of Arizona: Harvesting Rainwater for Landscape Use In arid climates, such as the Southwestern United States, "rainfall is scarce and evapotranspiration rates are high." This type of climate often makes the practice of "water harvesting" necessary for sustaining plant life in the area. This site contains an archived publication titled "Harvesting Rainwater for...
University of Wisconsin-Extension: Rain Gardens From the University of Wisconsin-Extension, this site contains two instructive, downloadable publications on gardening, landscaping and the environment. The "Rain Gardens" section includes two publications. The First publication serves as an introduction to rain gardens and the second is a detailed, 32-page manual...
Center for Watershed Protection: How to Build and Install a Rain Barrel [pdf] This site, from the Center for Watershed Protection, contains a brief, illustrated brochure on How to Build and Install a Rain Barrel. In addition to building a rain barrel, the brochure includes information on how to install a Rain Garden in your area.
Collecting and Utilizing Rooftop Rainfall Runoff [pdf] From the Thomas Jefferson Soil & Water Conservation District in Virginia comes this 22-page, downloadable publication titled Collecting and Utilizing Rooftop Rainfall Runoff: A Homeowner's Manual of Ideas for Harvesting Rainwater. Detailed information and instructions on creating rain barrels and rain gardens...
LID Sustainable School Projects: Teacher Section Low Impact Development Center created this site, which offers information and ideas for teaching sustainability principles to educators. The Sustainable School Projects offered on this site are a great tool to use in the classroom. The projects are designed to teach students about installing rain gardens and rain...
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